Dunhuang faces the majestic Qilian Mountains in the south, the vast Taklimakan Desert in the west, the rugged Beisai Mountain in the north and the Sanxian Mountain in the east. The area is 310.2 million square kilometers. It has a warm temperate climate. The annual rainfall is only 39.9 mm, but the evaporation is as high as 2400 mm, with plenty of sunshine and a long frost-free period. In this small natural basin surrounded by mountains, the snow water of Danghe River moistens fertile soil, and the shade of green trees blocks the black wind and yellow sand; Grain and cotton are harvested in drought and flood, and fruits and vegetables are fragrant all year round; The wonders of the desert are mysterious, and the Gobi is strange; Cultural relics are world-famous and talented people come forth in large numbers ... The beautiful Dunhuang is a rich, magical and charming land. "Dun, big also; Yellow, sheng also. " The magnificent Dunhuang has a long history and splendid culture! As early as the end of primitive society, the Sanmiao people who migrated to Hexi after the defeat of the tribal war in the Central Plains flourished here. They focused on hunting and began to master primitive agricultural production techniques. Neolithic stone knives, axes, pottery and bronzes were unearthed in Dunhuang area. Dunhuang in Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties belonged to Guguazhou, and there were descendants of Sanmiao. At that time, Qiang people and Rong people settled nomadic here. Many rock paintings left by nomadic people found in Dunhuang area are still vivid. During the Warring States Period and the Qin Dynasty, the Dayue family, Wusun family and Sai family lived in Dunhuang. Later, Dayue became stronger and merged with the original Qiangrong. At the end of the Warring States period, Dayue people drove away Wusun people and Saizhong people and monopolized Dunhuang until the end of Qin Dynasty and the beginning of Han Dynasty.
Dunhuang has experienced the baptism of Han style and Tang rain, with splendid culture and numerous historical sites, including the Mogao Grottoes, Yulin Grottoes, the West Thousand Buddha Cave and other major landscapes. The Mogao Grottoes, also known as Dunhuang Grottoes, is known as the "Pearl of Oriental Art" and is the largest existing grottoes in China, with 492 caves, more than 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 pieces of colored sculptures, which have been preserved for ten dynasties and thousands of years. The themes are mostly taken from Buddhist stories, and there are also murals reflecting folk customs, farming, hunting, weddings, funerals and celebrations at that time. These murals are superb in color sculpture skills and are recognized as "the dawn of human civilization", which is a treasure house of Buddhist art in the world.
In the second year of Song Ningzong's accession to the throne (A.D. 1206), Temujin (Genghis Khan) in Yuan Taizu unified the tribes in Mobei and established a powerful tribal alliance. 1227, the Mongolian army destroyed Xixia and conquered Shazhou, and Hexi area was owned by the Yuan Dynasty. Since then, Dunhuang has been upgraded to Shazhou Road, which belongs to Gansu Province. Later, he was promoted to the general manager of Shazhou. The Western Expedition of Yuan Dynasty must pass through Dunhuang. At that time, there were many garrisons in Guazhou and Shazhou, with numerous camps and farmers and soldiers all over Danghe and Shule River basins. Dunhuang once showed a scene of economic and cultural prosperity, and its trade with the western regions was more frequent. Kyle Polo, a famous Italian traveler, roamed the Central Plains through Dunhuang during this period. The rulers of the Yuan Dynasty also believed in Buddhism. The excavation of the Mogao Grottoes continues. There are about 10 existing caves in the Yuan Dynasty. Since the Yuan Dynasty, Hexi Qianli has gradually lost its former glory.
After Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, in order to sweep away the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty, he sent Song Guogong and Sheng Feng to lead the troops to pacify Hexi, won the victory, built Jiayuguan Ming Great Wall and rebuilt Suzhou City. In order to strengthen the defense of the northwest frontier, the Ming Dynasty established the Kansai Seven Guards. In the third year of Yongle (AD 1405), Shazhouwei was established in Dunhuang. After Turpan captured Hami, Dunhuang was threatened. In the Ming Dynasty, Han Dong left-back was set up in Shazhou ancient city. In the 11th year of Zheng De (A.D. 15 16), Dunhuang was occupied by Turpan. In the third year of Jiajing (A.D. 1524), the Ming Dynasty ordered the closure of Jiayuguan, moved Kansai civilians into the pass, and abandoned Gua and Sha states. After 200 years, Dunhuang was not built, and it became a desert land where "the wind travels thousands of miles and the moon shines on quicksand".
In the late Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty gradually recovered the vast areas outside Jiayuguan. In the third year of Yongzheng (A.D. 1725), Shazhouwei was established in Dunhuang, and 2,400 households from all over Gansu began to immigrate to Dunhuang for reclamation and settlement. At the same time, a large number of soldiers and civilians in Shazhou area moved to Turpan and Lop Nur. At the end of Yongzheng, there were more than 65,438+10,000 mu of cultivated land in Shazhou, and the Danghe River was irrigated by 10 canals. Agriculture was quickly restored and developed, forming the Gobi oasis in the west of Hexi Corridor. In the twenty-five years of Qianlong (1760), it was changed to Shazhou Weishan Dunhuang County, which directly belonged to Anxi. Until the Revolution of 1911, Dunhuang was the seat of the county government after the establishment of 1949 People's Republic of China (PRC). 1987, Dunhuang was established with the approval of the State Council. 1986 was named "China's famous historical and cultural city" by the State Council.
Dunhuang, after several vicissitudes, ups and downs, has stumbled through a long and tortuous mileage of nearly five thousand years. Dunhuang's splendid ancient culture bred by a long history makes Dunhuang still brilliant; Cultural relics everywhere, numerous ancient books and documents, exquisite grotto art and mysterious strange mountains and strange waters ... make this ancient city colorful, make the Gobi Oasis more lush and vibrant, just like a piece of jade embedded in a golden desert, more beautiful and more brilliant.